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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · current · fan · pitcher · jam · prune · wind · ruler

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — electric
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — happening now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — soda
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pop — music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com